Last week I wrote this post on learning to navigate a new city. As promised, here is its sequel – a practical example demonstrating how to apply the principles of navigation and map annotation to one of my favorite cities – Rome. I’ve found that one of the most common fears expressed by travelers, especially solo travelers, is getting lost and subsequently mugged/murdered/kidnapped/arrested. In playing it safe – sticking to organized tours and popular areas and frequenting the same neighborhoods – we risk missing out on discovering a city’s secrets.
With that in mind and using the system I laid out last week, take a look at this sample map. Welcome to Rome!
Our map. I’ve drawn a boundary around the main historic district – that’s the area I’ll be working with and in this hypothetical example, traveling in the most. Rome is massive and there are certainly vast areas outside the center worth exploring, but we have to start somewhere. This area encompasses many of the significant neighborhoods and attractions, but is still a manageable size.
Our anchor – St. Peter’s Basilica. During my visit, I stayed in an Air B&B apartment a few blocks away. I chose the basilica as my anchor for several reasons – it is easy to find, obviously well-known, and enormous. If I were to get hopelessly turned around, every person in Rome should be able to point me in its general direction. As long as I can memorize the short walk from the basilica to my apartment, I can be certain that I’ll always make it home, no matter how far I wander.
Major landmarks. I’ve circled several major landmarks – this is where a tourist map would have come in handy. From west to east we have Vatican City, Castel Sant Angelo, Piazza Navona, the Spanish Steps, and the train station. South of that I’ve highlighted the island in the Tiber and the river itself as geographic landmark examples and the Colosseum. It’s important to note that these aren’t the only landmarks in Rome, or the most significant or beautiful from a visitor’s perspective. I chose them because they are unique, relatively evenly spaced across the city, and located in different neighborhoods. Choose whatever seems most logical to you. Imagine these landmarks as stepping stones across the city. If you know where you are in relation to one, you should be able to orient yourself both within Rome in general and in relation to the other landmarks.
If our map orientation efforts stopped here, we would still be reasonably confident in our ability to find our way home, if not navigate the rest of the city. As long as we could make our way to the Tiber – that giant body of water in the middle of the city – we could work our away north or south to the bridge closest to St. Peter’s and find our way home from there. Once we find the river, we should also be able to orient ourself within the city based on our position in relation to the various bridges.
Major roads. These will both help you to navigate and divide the city into manageable chunks. This step is also where I would note significant architectural features, like the bridges across the Tiber and the parks along the southern border of our map. As you can see, several major thoroughfares cross the city in both north-south and east-west directions.
Now if, for example, you found yourself somewhere in the vicinity of the Colosseum, you would know that all you need to do is make your way north. Eventually you will run in to Via Panisperna. Follow it east to Corso Vittorio Emanuele II, and take that road all the way to the river. Cross the Tiber and continue east. You’ll reach our anchor point, St. Peter’s Basilica, and be able to find your way home. This might not be the quickest way home, but it will work every time. The key is being confident enough to navigate without a map by remembering your landmarks and major road systems.
Patterns. Like most ancient cities, Rome is weak on patterns. Only one section of the city is a grid, the neighborhood just east of Vatican City. This will be the easiest and most predictable neighborhood to learn. Use the patterns, road networks, and landmarks you’ve identified to divide your newly-annotated map into neighborhoods. This should be fairly intuitive and allow you to separate the city into manageable pieces you’re comfortable exploring on foot.
Now that we have studied our map, it’s time to venture out into the city. Choose one neighborhood, remind yourself of the boundaries you’ve identified, and decide how you’ll recognize them. Put your map away (you won’t be needing it), and confidently get to exploring! The ability to wander through an unknown city, secure in your ability to eventually make your way home, is liberating. You won’t be tethered to areas that are already familiar, or spend half your vacation with your nose in your map. Let yourself get a little lost – I know you’ll find your way again.
Let’s be fearless,
Jen
Photos of Italy courtesy of Jackie Dibiasie Sammons